


Not A Bad Thing

by quare_id_faciam



Category: Band of Brothers
Genre: F/M, Just a quick little idea I had, There's not enough Randleman on this site
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-19
Updated: 2020-08-19
Packaged: 2021-03-06 02:21:41
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,610
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25985800
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/quare_id_faciam/pseuds/quare_id_faciam
Summary: Post-war, Mary Robinson runs into the man of her dreams. Literally.
Relationships: Bull Randleman/Original Female Character(s)
Kudos: 7





	Not A Bad Thing

“Don’t even think about it, Edith” he heard the woman behind him hiss “He’d break you in half, a giant like that.” 

It wasn’t the first time Bull Randleman had heard comments about his size; they’d been directed at him since he was 13 and growing like a weed. They usually rolled off him like water off a duck, but the combination of the summer heat and having to run into town to replace some machine parts he’d already messed with twice that week had his temper running a mite short. He accepted his change from the clerk and snatched his lunch from the counter before turning, jaw tight with annoyance, intent on stomping his way out.

Unfortunately, his exit didn’t quite pan out as planned. When he turned to head for the door, he met some resistance in the form of a petite brunette as she bounced off his chest; in his haste, he had moved right in the young woman’s path as she was making her way towards the cold drinks beside the counter. 

She wobbled a little, thrown off balance by the impact. His hands automatically moved to steady her but stopped short when he registered the look upon her face; they retracted as if he had been burned. Wide blue eyes gazed up at him from a freckled face; her mouth hung open a little as she stared - in surprise or disdain? Had she been near enough to hear the disparaging opinion from the woman who was now watching them as if she had just been proven right about something? He didn’t want to stay long enough to find out.

“Pardon me, ma’am,” he apologized quietly before making his exit with all due haste, feeling eyes on his back the entire way. All the way back to work, he couldn't stop thinking of those wide blue eyes; the curl of her hair; her pretty yellow dress; and the way she had stared at him.

Then, as if the universe was taunting him, he began seeing her everywhere. She was in the market, on the other side of the street, at the post office. Rotten luck that the prettiest thing he’d ever laid eyes on also likely happened to overhear the scandalous remarks from the nosy old mother that made her look at him as if he were in fact going to break her in half. He couldn’t get that look out of his head.

* * *

  
  


Mary Robinson had just popped in to Brown's Deli to grab a cold drink for her lunch when she ran, quite literally, into a veritable mountain of a man. She'd seen him around town a few times before, even admired him from afar, but bouncing off a chest that felt like it was made of stone was not the way she had imagined meeting him for the first time. She'd admittedly been distracted by Mrs. Chapel's overly loud whispering about the size of him and somehow failed to notice the man in question abruptly turn into her path.

Then, as she took a wobbly step back to give herself some room, she looked up (and up) to take in the largest man she'd ever seen. His shoulders were almost twice as wide as hers, sporting arms as big around as her thighs, and his shirt looked as if even the slightest flex of muscle would have it bursting at the seams. Her mouth may have dropped open a little bit in disbelief as she realized the sheer size of him up close. Something about it filled her with an odd yearning she'd never felt before.

As she met his eyes, however, she saw something akin to embarrassment, then irritation cross his face and she wondered if she was the cause of it.

"Pardon me, ma'am" he apologized shortly, before making a hasty exit and leaving Mary standing alone, a little dazed. 

As she drifted back to work, with the chilled drink she almost forgot was the reason she was at the Deli in the first place, Mary's mind kept straying to the man she'd run into and his bright blue eyes; his broad shoulders; the dark blond of his hair; and the way he'd looked at her.

She couldn't get that look out of her head. No, it was not the way she had imagined meeting him for the first time, but that wasn't always a bad thing.

* * *

  
  


Weeks later, Bull was walking home from a job that had run late when he heard a woman’s raised voice ring out across the street.

“I said no! Please leave me alone!”

He immediately changed course and crossed the street towards the source of the noise, noticing as he approached that a man had the young woman backed against the wall of a nearby shop and was twirling one of her curls around his finger. It wasn’t until he was almost upon them that Bull realized that it was the young woman from the store.

Despite any lingering self-consciousness he may have felt from their first encounter, it was not in him to stand by when someone was in trouble. The young woman’s eyes darted to him immediately as soon as he stepped into the circle of light cast by the streetlamp above them, discomfort and a small amount of fear written plainly on her face and in the way she clutched her books to her chest as if they could protect her. Bull knew the exact moment she recognized him; the look of sheer relief that transformed her pallid face was almost painful to him. That this man was harassing her to the point where a complete stranger was a welcome intrusion made his blood boil. 

“I believe the lady said no,” he rumbled with a scowl aimed at the man, who pulled back from the woman to see who dared to interrupt him. 

“Look, pal, it ain’t none of your business…” 

Over the man’s shoulder, Bull could see something akin to satisfaction cross the woman’s face when her harasser balked at the sight of him. The former soldier had half a foot on the guy, easily, and about a hundred pounds of muscle. Pushing the issue might not be the last thing this creep ever did, but it would probably be the stupidest, and he seemed to realize that as the rest of his sentence died in his mouth.

Bull took that opportunity to drive the point home. "You go on, now," he ordered firmly. "And don't let me catch you bothering this lady again."

Jaw clenched, the man glowered up at him for a beat, shot a glare over his shoulder at the woman, and finally skulked off. Bull watched him for a moment to make sure he was really leaving before turning back to the young woman who heaved a soft sigh of relief only when the cad disappeared around the corner. 

"Are you alright, ma'am?"

His voice seemed to startle her, as she jumped a little and whipped her head back around to face him. 

“Oh,” she breathed, staring up at him with wide eyes much as she had that day in the store when he stepped in her path. Her voice was soft and melodic; it matched her to a T. “I’m fine now, thanks to you. I really can’t thank you enough; he’s been bothering me for weeks!”

She fumbled a little with the stack of books she held, shifting them to one arm in order to stick a small hand out. 

“I’m Mary Robinson.”

Gently, Bull took her hand and shook it, surprised by her firm grip that seemed at odds with her delicate appearance. 

“Denver Randleman, ma’am,” he replied, and then his mouth continued without his permission; something about her just made him offer.“May I walk you home? Don’t seem right to leave you alone after all that.”

Mary’s cheeks flushed under the lamplight, glowing a becoming shade of pink. 

“Thank you, Mr. Randleman,” she replied shyly. “I’d appreciate that.”

Feeling a little awkward, Bull gestured for her to lead the way, falling into step beside her as she directed them toward the edge of downtown. Mary Robinson was a nervous talker, it seemed, as she kept up a near constant stream of chatter, first telling him about her job as a librarian and how she was taking classes to learn how to manage her own library one day. She asked him about his job, and where he was from; his answers were short, if not polite, and she seemed to understand that he was simply a man of few words. He was happy enough to simply observe her as they walked, taking in the brightness of her eyes and the smile that seemed to never leave her face 

“Well, this is me,” she said as they stopped in front of a quaint brick house with a little white gate. “Thanks again for walking me home, and for helping me earlier. I really appreciate it.”

Bull shoved his hands in his pockets, a little embarrassed by the earnestness in her voice.

“No trouble at all, ma’am," he replied quietly. "I’ll see you in.”

Mary ducked her head a little bashfully, seeming as if she were going to say something else before finally settling on a soft, “Well, goodnight.”

Bull watched her disappear into the house, almost disappointed that she didn’t look back.

* * *

When Mary left the library the next evening, she would be lying if she said she wasn’t pleasantly surprised to see her savior from the night before waiting at the bottom of the steps.

“Good evening Mr. Randleman,” she chirped with a broad smile, a little confused but happy to see him nonetheless. She’d also be lying if she said she hadn’t laid awake for an hour thinking about how small her hand felt in his, and how dashing it was of him to step in when he heard her distress. “The library is closed now if that’s what you’re here for. We’ll be open again tomorrow morning at 8am.”

It was hard to tell with his face half shadowed, looking up at her as he was, but Mary swore a faint blush crossed his cheeks. He cleared his throat.

“I figured I ought to make sure that man didn’t come back to bother you again,” he replied slowly, as if trying to convince himself. “Ain’t right to leave a lady to walk home alone in the dark.”

Mary ducked her head to hide an amused smile, descending the steps to stand beside him.

“That’s very kind of you,” she answered at last. “I’d be glad for the company.”

The walk played out much as it had the night before; Mary talked a little more about her job and her family, and in return she learned that he had been in the Army, a paratrooper, but she didn’t pry and he didn’t offer many details. She shared that her older brother had been on Guadalcanal and that he didn’t like to talk about it, which was her way of gently telling him that she understood; the small smile he gave her in return was worth more than any story he could’ve shared with her.

When he said goodbye at the gate, Mary told herself that that would be it. He was just being kind and making sure the pushy jerk from the night before didn’t return. But then he was waiting for her again the next night, and the next, and she dared to admit that perhaps there was something more than just kindness. Especially when she learned that he lived in the complete opposite direction.She didn’t have the heart to tell him that she had only been walking that week because her trusty old truck was waiting on a new engine belt; that, and their walks became the highlight of her day. 

As the second week rolled by, however, she grew disheartened when he made no attempt to ask her on a date, or kiss her, or anything implying something more than friendship. She thought he might, a few times, but he always seemed to think better of it and simply ended the evening with “I’ll see you in.”

It was Thursday the following week when she lay in bed, staring at the ceiling, and made up her mind to do something about it. Mary Robinson had never dared to ask a man on a date, but it seemed the only option unless she wanted to spend another three weeks pining.

Brave talk for a woman laying in bed alone with her thoughts, but the moment Bull said “I’ll see you in,” on Friday evening, all the courage left her and she found herself turning towards the door. As she reached the screen door, however, she could hear her roommate’s voice drifting through the open window as she made plans with her beau for their date the next day. The thought of sitting alone in the house on Saturday night as she watched the vivacious blonde leave for a night of dinner and dancing made her square her shoulders and turn back around, marching back up to the gate where Bull still stood.

“Denver,” she said boldly, using his name for the first time. “Are you ever going to ask me on a date?”

The large man balked for a second, but there was no deception in his eyes when he finally answered, “Wasn’t sure you wanted me to.”

Mary stared up at him in disbelief for a moment before smiling fondly.

“Do you think I let you walk me home every night for three weeks because I wanted to talk your ear off?”

Bull shifted a little awkwardly, shoving his hands in his pockets like she knew he always did when he felt uncomfortable. It seemed something was on his mind but he wasn’t sure how to say it.

“The day we ran into one another, in the deli on Main, I’m sure you overheard that woman’s comment to her daughter. You looked so shocked; I know my size can be...intimidating.”

Mary’s mouth dropped open in surprise at his admission before she gathered herself and shook her head. “I wasn’t intimidated by you or Mrs. Chapel,” she assured him earnestly. “It was quite the opposite, really!” 

As soon as the words left her mouth, she realized what she had admitted out loud and her face burned with embarrassment. Her hand came up to cover her mouth and her shoulders hitched around her ears like she was expecting to be chastised; it took Bull a moment to understand her meaning. She knew the moment he did, as a slow grin began to spread across his face. Who’d have thought; little, bookish Mary Robinson liked the idea of him…of them...

Suddenly her reaction in the shop made perfect sense. He leaned against the gate, still grinning and filled with all the confidence in the world.

“How about dinner then? Tomorrow night?”

Still blushing furiously and wanting to regain some of her dignity, Mary agreed, “Fine; you can pick me up at 7,” before turning on her heel and scurrying into the house, leaving him staring after her in almost bewildered amusement.

* * *

  
  


That was certainly not the way she had imagined things going, Mary thought as she leaned against the door and buried her flushed face in her hands. Despite her embarrassment, she couldn't help the wide smile that spread across her own face when it sank in that she was going on a date. Not the way she imagined it, no, but that certainly wasn't always a bad thing.   
  


**Author's Note:**

> This didn't turn out quite how I imagined it but it was still a fun little exercise. Not a whole lot of characterization but I hope you guys enjoyed it nevertheless!


End file.
